Category: Believe It Or Not

Good Luck Felix


Today, weather permitting, Felix Baumgartner will make his second attempt to try to become the first man to break the sound barrier.

In free fall that is, from 120,00 feet or some 22 miles somewhere over New Mexico. This height puts him up in the earths stratosphere.

Not only will this jump set a new height record but it is hoped that Baumgartner will reach about 720 miles per hour and break the sound barrier.

To protect him during his jump Baumgartner will be wearing a special suit, similar to a space suit. This suit, which is pressurised, will provide oxygen, thermal protection, soak up any moisture that forms inside. And if the suit fails ? This is what Art Thompson, technical project director for the Red Bull Stratos Mission

“At that altitude, if the suit were to tear open — by any means — you’d start bleeding from the mouth,” . . . . “With that cold exposure, minus 60 degrees, your saliva starts to freeze up, you start oozing fluids from your eyes. The level of horror is straight out of a science fiction movie.”

The Telegraph is providing a live feed to this record attempt.

I wish Felix the best of luck.

Plumbing New Depths


Received an e-mail with the following photo’s attached. The e-mail claims that they are from Mexico.

Wherever, I don’t feel quite so bad about my own DIY plumbing results.

Anyone out there have any evidence of more outrageous installations ?

Ski jumpers soar over Hampstead Heath


I stumbled across this article and thought I would share.

The novel idea of importing 45 tons of snow, 25 Norwegian skiers and building an almost full sized ski jump obviously gave Londoners something to gawp at back in 1950, although I can’t imagine why the event was originally proposed. Perhaps the words of a “spokesmen” give us a clue

An official said of the event, “This exhibition has been such an unqualified success that we are very much hoping it will become one of the country’s major sporting features.”

Maybe there were some pretensions that London could host the Winter Olympics. Is this where Eddie “The Eagle” Edwards gained inspiration ?

BBC ON THIS DAY | 25 | 1950: Ski jumpers soar over Hampstead Heath.

Brought Down By Mussels


http://newslite.tv/2012/01/12/canada-antiterror-barrier-atta.html

Time and time again mans best efforts are belittled by nature. Here is a prime example. The humble mussel, with no arms or legs, manages to reduce the Canadian Navy defences to useless junk.

Posted with WordPress for BlackBerry.

Three fire engines sent to rescue trapped seagull in Norwich – Is this overkill ?


I am the last person to want any animal to suffer but this does seem to be a total waste of time and money. After all we aren’t talking about endangered species here.

Surely a local farmer with a shotgun could have resolved this situation much more quickly.

Three fire engines sent to rescue trapped seagull in Norwich – News – Norwich Evening News.

ME TV


So Channel 5 are bringing back Big Brother. WHY ?

In my mind it is nothing but  Peeping Tom TV / Viewing For Voyeurs / Me TV and a total and utter waste of viewing time.

Over the several series broadcast by Channel 4 many friends and work colleagues tried to convince me that the program was worth watching. And I did try to watch it on numerous occasions but I just couldn’t keep my attention focussed or my eyes open. There was no story line, no plot, nothing to guide you as to its purpose. Quite often there were just mindless loud mouthed nobodies performing for the camera.

Their actions just a desperate shout of  “Don’t look at them, look at ME !!!”

Its rumoured that they, Endemol and Channel Five, are spending in the region of £220 million to try and drag 20 million viewers to Channel 5. The money would have been better spent on bringing  decent drama to our screens. There are just too many fly-on-the-wall programs, too many talent shows on all the channels.

Mindless TV.

Where is the stimulation for the masses ? Bring back proper entertainment and stop flooding our living rooms with wannabe celebrities.

And just a thought … George Orwell in his novel, 1984, introduced us to Big Brother.

Big Brother was actually the state (the few) watching the masses. I think in the case of the TV show the telescope is back to front.

Brian True-May – The 223rd Midsomer Murder


What do the folk at All3Media and the ITV think they are doing ?  Trying to appear to be PC when all they have really done is make total arses of themselves

Midsomer Murders is a show which has been airing since 1997 with over 80 episodes under its belt. It works to a formula and represents a side of Britain that has all but disappeared. The formula obviously works.

Brian True-May was expressing the view that changing that formula would change the character of the show. What had been suggested to him during an interview was tantamount to that the  characters in Coronation Street should speak with plumbs in their mouths, should all sound like they were educated at Eton.  Did anyone suggest that Last of the Summer Wine be changed to reflect a more balanced ethnic mix, of course not.

I think the idiots at All3Media and the ITV  have blundered and they should fess up and withdraw their comments and reinstate Mr True-May.

Midsomer Murders race row: Fans defend show as co-star suggests ‘black gardener’ | Mail Online.

Sign Of The Crimes


Thieves who stole the copper from a school roof forcing the school to close are now to be warned off the unsafe roof… in case they are injured !!! Even though they should know that the roof has been made unsafe by their own actions.

This is just another indication of how ridiculous our country is becoming. Any criminal injured during the course of their nefarious activities deserves everything they get. They have no rights to medical treatment, no rights to fair treatment and certainly no rights to claim compensation.

Copper thieves who forced school to close warned to keep off gaping roof… in case they are injured by their OWN destruction | Mail Online.